Glasgow Police Museum is a must for city tourists and Glaswegians

The Glasgow Police Museum, however, want ordinary Glaswegians to take in their story which is filled with the triumphs of the city’s great cops and the downfalls of the criminals who chose to break the law.

Former Glasgow inspector Alastair Dinsmor, above, is one of the many retired police officers who help run the museum which is opened seven days a week from April to October.

With the summer holidays coming up, he hopes city families will drop by and learn more about Glasgow’s fascinating policing past.

Alastair, who is chairman of the Glasgow Police Heritage Society, said: “A few of us who had been involved in the old Strathclyde Police Museum, which wasn’t open to the public, got together to create this.

“We wanted to tell Glasgow’s story and have it as a public museum.”

The museum opened in 2002 in the former Central Police Headquarters in the Calton before it moved to its current location in the Merchant City’s Bell Street in 2009, above.

Alastair, who started in the police in 1968 before finishing his career 30 years later, said: “I am passionate about the museum because we tell a great story here.

“The city of Glasgow had the first police force in the UK, that is important to us and this is the first thing we tell people who come in the door. It sets the scene for their visit.”

The unassuming museum takes visitors through the history of the police in Glasgow charting everything from the city's first police dogs who were brought in to tackle housebreakings to the story of Scottish policeman John McAulay who was awarded a Victoria Cross during World War I in between his service.

The story of the Glasgow police, however, also has a dark side, and where the good guys succeed - the bad guys follow including serial killer Peter Manual, above, who features in the museum.

Alastair said: "The Peter Manual case is one a lot of people in central Scotland remember and we always have people interested in that when they visit."

Alastair, however, admits that his pride and joy is a collection of police badges and uniforms from every country around the world.

He said that tourists have even sent back their country's badge or uniform after a visit - especially if they notice it has been missing from the collection.

Because of this, the collection has expanded to around 200 uniforms which is impressive considering the small space in which the museum is housed.

He hopes that collection and the rest of the story will impress visitors who come from all over.

He said: "We have a wide range of people visiting the museum. Ex-police officers, serving police officers and people who have never been in the police and are curious about what the museum offers.

"We have tourists from all over world. We don't really have an average visitor, we have every type of person you can think of coming in.

"A lot of the Glasgow visitors have pride in the old Glasgow police. But we still want to get that message out to Glaswegian people that we are here."

The museum has even had a famous visitor or two including Taggart star Alex Norton, above, who played DCI Matt Burke in the hit cop drama.

With plenty for children to do, the museum has also received recognition from Trip Advisor, Visit Scotland and the Children's University.

The hope now for those behind the museum is that it keeps going as while the experience is free for visitors, donations are needed to help with the running costs.

Alastair explained the significance in preserving this important part of history.

He said: "To know where you are going, you have to know where you have been.

"You learn from history and it gives a esprit de corps for police officers.

"Their job is based on history which allows them to progress, make it into the modern era and be more successful.

"If they know what has gone on before, it makes them confident and proud."

Visit the Scottish Police Museum on Bell Street. For more information, visit http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/